XIII
Ashitaka: Will to Live
The forest is light. A drop of dew falls on my face. I open my eyes sleepily. The sky above is blue, as I can see from the opening of the forest canopy. Sun rays stream through the green, moss-covered trees. The twitter of birds fills the air. How beautiful, I think.
I realize that I am resting on the shores of the pond. Yakkuru grazes by me. Half-awake, I notice that the pain from the wound is gone. I will my arm to move and gingerly feel the place where the bullet had hit me.
But I feel nothing but perfectly fine flesh. "There's no wound!" I gasp and try to sit up, but collapse back in exhaustion. I am still extremely weak. The red elk nuzzles me.
"Yakkuru…" I lift my hand up to pat his chin, but notice the ugly scar of the curse on my hand. What had occupied only a part on my arm now extends to my palm. I sigh in despair and let my head fall to the ground. How much time do I have left?
Someone hops lightly near me. It is Princess Mononoke, carrying my sword. Her necklace clinks lightly as she steps from island to island of moss to me. She pats Yakkuru and tells me, "If you're awake, thank Yakkuru. He watched over you the whole time."
"How do you know his name?" I mutter weakly.
She scratches the elk's chin fondly. "He told me all about you, your village, and your forest," she replies. So the girl has the ability to talk to various animals. It figures, I think, since she is being raised by the wolves.
She turns to me, her gaze stern but not unkind. "The Shishi-gami brought you back to life, so I'll help you." She kneels by me and rips a chunk of dry meat with her teeth.
"I had this dream…a golden deer," I try to tell her, but she ignores me. The wolf girl holds the dry meat at my mouth.
"Eat," she orders, and sticks the food to my lips. But try as I may, I can't make my jaws work.
"Chew," she says, a little softer. I try, but I choke and the meat falls out of my mouth. She takes the meat and I hear her chewing it. Her steady gaze never leaves my face.
She does something very surprising then; she leans down and put her mouth to mine. I think for a moment she is going to kiss me, but the realization comes to me. I am being fed. She pushes the chewed food to me, and I am finally able to swallow, but still not without difficulty. She chews up more meat and repeats the process.
Was this how her parent fed her, when she was a child?
Tears flows from my closed eyes. She really is a compassionate person, but with a fierce sense of protection.
I won't die, because the two of us both have a strong will: The will to live.
A/N: This is one of the most important scenes in the entire movie. I hope I have done justice to this beautiful scene. Please leave constructive reviews!